I am a historian who focuses on the relationship between industrial change and the built environment in 19th-century cities such as New York and Philadelphia. These research interests dovetail with my teaching. I have taught a variety of courses that focus on technology, urban and environmental studies, and U.S. social history.

I have found that students benefit from the interpretive activities we do in the archives. They learn to create historical knowledge through their research and learn about the complications of creating this knowledge. Teaching in the archives has also led me to make the local geography a greater part of all my courses. Using the city as a classroom helps me emphasize groups of people and physical spaces that the students find relevant to their lives.

I am a historian who focuses on the relationship between industrial change and the built environment in 19th-century cities such as New York and Philadelphia. These research interests dovetail with my teaching. I have taught a variety of courses that focus on technology, urban and environmental studies, and U.S. social history.

I have found that students benefit from the interpretive activities we do in the archives. They learn to create historical knowledge through their research and learn about the complications of creating this knowledge. Teaching in the archives has also led me to make the local geography a greater part of all my courses. Using the city as a classroom helps me emphasize groups of people and physical spaces that the students find relevant to their lives.